The free drone show recreating iconic Denver imagery
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DENVER — It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … the blue horse outside Denver International Airport? Red Rocks Amphitheater? Wait, that’s also wrong.
The answer is drones. Six hundred of them, to be exact.
On a chilly Sunday evening, a small crowd gathered on a sidewalk behind the MSU Denver athletic fields to watch the show. Tiny lights rise in unison, seamlessly moving into positions. The orbs blink off for a moment, turning back on to reveal a larger than life image, fully animated in the sky.
On a chilly Sunday evening, a small crowd gathered on a sidewalk behind the MSU Denver athletic fields to watch the show. Tiny lights rise in unison, seamlessly moving into positions. The orbs blink off for a moment, turning back on to reveal a larger than life image, fully animated in the sky.
Drone shows are a “see it to believe it” situation. Just ask Tom Dolan who owns BrightFlight Drone Shows, the local drone company behind the show.
“We know that for most people watching this show, it’s the first drone show they’ve ever seen,” Dolan said. “So we’re definitely always aiming to impress and leave a strong first impression.”
Mile High Drone Show, the official name of the nightly drone show, is free to the public and is visible from different vantage points in the city (Dolan says the best spot is on Rio Court behind MSU) with Visit Denver. The 10-minute show runs until New Year’s Eve and is part of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commemoration.
The team worked with the 250-150 commission to come up with a way to salute Colorado in the most visual way possible.
The team worked with the 250-150 commission to come up with a way to salute Colorado in the most visual way possible.
“The show is really a mini-history of Colorado,” Dolan said. “We go from stegosaurus fossils being discovered to jam bands at Red Rocks.”
Video: Sarah Shoen, Rocky Mountain PBS
Dolan and his team also have a contract with, among others, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and have done events ranging from weddings to quinceñeras. Drone shows have been on the rise due to their environmentally friendly reputation, leaving little to no footprint (in contrast to explosive firework shows).
“Drone shows are the next generation of outdoor entertainment,” Dolan said.
BrightFlight has been operating in Denver since 2022, and Dolan says 95% of their business happens in Colorado. The drone show industry rose to $1.5 billion market value in 2024.
“We’ve had our eye on the drone industry for a few years now, and we were mostly waiting for the market to be ready and for us to have a product,” Dolan said.
Each drone costs $1,000 and Dolan currently has a fleet of 800 drones. Dolan laughs remembering simpler times, when he was just starting out and only had 100 drones to worry about.
“Insurance companies want to see history, they want to see that nothing is going to go wrong — so, insurance is super expensive for drones,” Dolan said. “It’s just such a new industry.”
Dolan’s team is taking another drone show on tour throughout the state next year. The ‘Stories in the Sky’ series will feature dozens of shows across Colorado. Dolan’s mother-in-law already made them tour t-shirts.
Featured stops in the statewide "Stories in the Sky" series include:
● Greeley Stampede – June 25, 2026
● Durango’s Music in the Mountains – July 25, 2026
● Colorado Day Rockies Game – August 1, 2026
● Palisade Peach Festival – August 21, 2026
● Telluride Film Festival – September 3 or 4, 2026
“The drone shows unite communities, and inspire pride in Colorado with a family-friendly, unforgettable experience that is accessible to millions,” said America 250-Colorado 150 commission co-chair and Colorado Tourism Office director Timothy Wolfe.
The public opinion of drones varies, and Dolan says he fields drone questions all the time. This could include someone asking him about the safety of drones to privacy concerns (BrightFlight complies with the FAA on all fronts, Dolan said). One major misconception? Sound.
“A lot of people bring up the sound concern with drones,” Dolan says, looking out at the field of drones waiting to launch. “Even when I’m standing almost directly underneath them, I don’t hear anything, and the audience certainly can’t.”
BrightFlight hasn’t had to field any noise complaints, and Dolan is grateful to be working back in his home state. His aspirations as a business owner in the drone space is to set a good example of what drone shows can be.
“When drones are used in a good way, they’re incredible tools,” Dolan said. “When people are reckless and use them in a bad way, they can be dangerous and invasive. So all we can do is educate, be transparent, and put on the best show possible.”
You can find a list of all the traveling locations for the drone shows at the commission website, and you can find the best places to watch Mile High Holidays below:
● Tivoli Quad on Auraria Campus — closest spot to the action
● Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex — open-air public vantage, one of the top recommendation spots
● 54thirty Rooftop at the Le Méridien Denver Downtown — rooftop bar with a stellar view and holiday ambiance
● Peaks Lounge at Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center — cozy, indoor option with panoramic vistas
● Terrace at Denver Art Museum’s Lanny & Sharon Martin Building (museum admission fee required) — museum stays open until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, offering great line-of-sight
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.